Barnaby comes to his senses and is immediately peppered with questions from the party. Is it really him? His recollection of his time in Pharasma’s Boneyard is foggy, and it doesn’t really make anybody excited to go there. Overall, it seemed rather drab.
After everything is in order, our heroes break out the missing pages from the Vekkers’ ledger. Here’s the contents:
From the cabin travel north along the Kazaron River’s winding path, about 25mi, until reaching the next tributary. Venture along the eastern flow, which is the legendary River Avah.
The mountains are treacherous, and the ascent is arduous. Without the proper protections against the elements and biting frost, the ill-equipped traveler will become fodder for the denizens of the peaks.
At the next tributary, nearly 35 mi later, follow the river to the northwest another 50 miles until you reach the source of the River Avah, the Fen of the Icemists.
A culmination of the rocky taiga and ancient lava flows, the Fen of the Icemists is where your mind will begin to muddy itself.
You could unknowingly become affected by the mind magic, wandering for eternity without ever finding your way out.
Once greeted by the crystalline mists, you must fast and wait for a night where the moon is burgeoning and full. Only then, will the route to the City of Gold be made clear to you.
Pass another ten miles under the shadows of the spewing volcanoes into the shadow of Mhar Mhassif.
When the ground turns from rocks and hardened ash to bricks of tarnished gold, you have breached the outer reaches of Greed’s domain.
Silas and Karivek Vekker
Understanding that the path before them will include enduring harsh elements, it’s time to do some shopping. The party already got a bite-sized taste of mountain travel while exploring the environs around the Vekker cabin, but they are mostly ill-equipped.
Several Cloaks of the Yeti and a Wand of Endure Elements later, and the party feels much better equipped for the journey. They teleport back to the cabin and begin their ascent towards Xin-Shalast.
Into the Mountains
The journey through the different stages of the Vekkers’ steps is slow-going due to the mountainous terrain. At most, the party can travel 12 miles in a day, which means that by the time they reach the Fen of the Icemists, the party is acclimated to the high-altitude.
They’re lucky that the dangerous beasts of the area, like wyverns and giants, didn’t attack while Barnaby was fatigued from altitude sickness. They do, however, see a roc get taken down in mid-air by a wyvern, which is not a sight that most travelers would ever get to witness.
Finally, they reach the Fen of the Icemists, a sprawling ice field complete with protruding rocks and underground lava floes. When they arrive, Trace feels incredible unwelcome, as if telling him that he is unwanted and should turn back. Barnaby and Krask also find themselves compelled to begin walking aimlessly through the Fen.
As Barnaby steps out, the ice gives way, causing him to fall into the freezing water below. He has trouble climbing out of the hole until Krask sends down a rope. Our newest elf companion feels something smooth brush against his leg as he pulls himself back to solid ground.
Looking down into the hole, he sees a playful otter swimming. Suddenly, it bursts through the ice and flies around excitedly before its form changes into a magenta woman with long, pointed ears and flowing black hair.
The woman directs her conversation at Trace, mentioning a specific aura around him given to him by her sister. Initially, Trace interprets this as Sarenrae, but quickly remembers Myriana back in the Shimmerglens. The party returned Lamatar’s body to his lover, allowing her to finally be at peace once more.
This woman introduces herself as Svevenka, and listens to the party’s goal of finding Xin-Shalast and taking down the Runelord Karzoug. She offers her assistance in the form of spellcasting and information, but she won’t be leaving the Fen of the Icemists unprotected by accompanying them directly.
Up next, the party will need to fast in order to find the historical route of the River Avah. The path of the river shifted due to geological events, and its true source isn’t immediately discernible.
Besides giants, lamias, and abominable snowmen, what creatures await the party in Xin-Shalast? Can Svevenka be trusted? Does Barnaby offer the party ANYTHING useful?
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